Electric fixture



l March 27, 1934.

A. A. HENKEL ELECTRIC FIXTURE Filed July 14, 195o 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IllhIllllll-IIIIIK( gw@ @M/@ March 27, 1934. A, A. HENKEL ELECTRIC FIXTURE Filed July 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT f-OFFICE ELECTRIC FIXTURE nois Application July 14, 1930, Serial No. 467,849'

14 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a dressing fixture for vanity, shaving or make-up purposes but'has a more general application wherever a fixture of this type may be used.

One of the principal objects of the invention is in the provision of a variable lamp support movable in a slotted frame, and having means for substantially covering or closing the slot opening.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of a cabinet door or frame in which a mirror isslidably movable and held by means of loosely inserted mounting strips.

A further object of the invention is in the p provison of `a fixture of this kind having means for providing electrical connection with a movable lamp and adapted to prevent undue bending or damage to the conductors adjacent the point ofconnection with the lamp.

Further objects of the invention are in the provision of a supporting frame or cabinet providing an enclosure for conductor wires having an opening at the back of the enclosure; to provide a holder for vengaging the conductors and maintaining them of the proper length within the enclosure; to provide an electric plug at the bottom of the frame or cabinet of neat appearance with conductors extending within the enclosure and out of the xture opening.

.Other and further objects of the invention will be hereinafter pointed out, the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are front, side and top views respectively of a frame or door embodying the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.` 1;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, with -theback removed;

Fig. 6 isa section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

'In providing mirror frames, doors, or cabinets for toilet purposes embodying the so-called edgelight construction it is desirable to cover the slot required for the sliding light and to make provisions for protecting the conductors, preventing them from being caught and to afford easy accessto the Wires and other parts by making the mirror easily removable but at the same time properly seated'inV the framevor support. The

present invention Aaccomplishes these results in a similar and effective manner as shown and described in connection vwith a flat enclosing frame which may be inserted directly in a wall or attached to it, or may be hinged to form the door of a cabinet of the well-known bathroom or medicine type.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a marginal frame v10 of any suitable material or construction is provided with a central opening 11 forming anarrow marginal face 12 in which are slots 13 for mounting slidable edge lamps 14 therein. Each lamp comprises a socket 15 carried by a support 16 which preferably has a resilient Vsliding connection inthe slot as shown more clearly byFig. 7. Extending from the support 16 Lthrough the slot 13 is a hollow stem 17 with a positioning nut 18 attached thereto and contained ybetween the outer edge of the frame 10 and an inner rim 19 thereof which holds the nut 18 in place andprevents the support 16 from turning. The resilient connection comprises an extension 20 of the support 16 which slides in a shallow cap 21 surrounding the-stem 17 and between which is an expansion spring 22 tending to separate these parts to press the cap 21 against an upstanding rim'23 Afor the slot 13 and to hold the support 16 and the lamp resiliently'in any position in its slot. To adjust the position of the lamp the support 16 is simply raised or lowered as desired, the; resilient mounting holding it flrmly'but yieldingly in any adjusted position.

in order to close the slot 13, a strip 24 0I" ilexible material is mounted at the under side of the frame 10 and in the channelformed at the rear of the slot by the'rim 19 so that it will move with the lamp lxture. For thisrpurpose the strip may be attached tothe stem 17 and mounted between the under side of the frame 10 and the nut 18, the ends of thesstripbeing secured together and the strip mounted upon rollers 25 above and below the extremities-of the slot 13 so that no matter inlwhatposition the lamp support may be, the-slot above and below thefixture will be closed by the strip 24.

In movingthe lamp supports in the slots 13 it is necessary to have a'certain lengthof conductor wire which will make the vdesired-electrical connection without twisting or breaking the wire and without-bending it continually at the same place which will tendto break the Wire strands. For this purpose a tubular extension 26 of the xture stem-17 isattached to therear side of the supporting nut 18l and extends toward the interior of the `frame or casing so that a conductor 27 extending from the lamp 14 will be partially supported adjacent the xture and will not tend to bend or break due to the moving of the lamp in its slot. In order to support a proper length of the conductor 27 on the inside of the frame, a holding notch 28 is provided in the rim 19 at the top oi the frame 10 which is closed when a back plate 29 is secured in place and the conductors 27 are held by crowding them in the notch or by a tape 30 securing them together and pressing the tape and the conductors into the notch which prevents them from slipping and supports a proper length or loop of conductor within the casing.

The rear plate 29 is preferably sheet metal with the edges turned inwardly within the frame 10 and secured in place by fastening screws 31 at 'the upper portion of this plate is an outlet box opening 32 preferably corresponding in size to a regular electric fixture outlet box and having a cover 33 with perforations 34 therein through which the conductors from the interior of the casing may extend to a suitable source of current supply.

In the lower part of the frame, preferably at the center of the lower edge, is an opening 35 for an electric switch plug 36 held in place by a fastening strap 37 and having terminal screws 38 to which conductors 39 are attached for connecting the plug to a source of electrical supply. This attachment plug 36 is small and neat in appearance, it is conveniently located and is easily connected and attached to the frame.

A door or frame of this kind is preferably made with a central opening to reduce weight and cost and also to provide unobstructed access to the interior of the casing. As a bathroom or dressing xture it is commonly provided with .a mirror and to attach a mirror 40 in such a frame, a number of irregular strips 41 are provided substantially S-shaped in cross section having one portion opening in one direction to embrace or engage the inner edge of the frame A10 and having an oppositely opening portion to engage the edge of the mirror 40.

As shown, the mirror 40 is provided with beveled edges 42 and the strips 4l are shaped to receive the bevel thus providing a neat and attractive engaging portion which does not extend above the face of the mirror itself. In attaching the mirror by means of these strips 41, the strips are simply placed in position and the mirror is slipped downwardly from the top of the frame into engagement with the strips and engaging the bottom strip 41. The lower inner corners 43 of the frame are cut at an angle to provide locating means for the strips 41 so that they do not extend to the extreme corner of the mirror. This leaves the lower corners of the mirror exposed, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1, thus providing easily accessible portions of the mirror for engaging it and slipping it out of connection with the strips 41, If desired, one or more holding clips 44 maybe pro- `vided for engaging the upper edge of the mirror for use in connection with medicine or toilet cabinet doors or as a shallow casing adapted to be set into a wall or fastened directly thereto and the mirror being removable facilitates the attachment of the casing to a wall and the electrical connection of the lamps and the switch plug with a wall outlet box or opening. When the lamps are moved the slots in which they are movable are covered to prevent objectionable openings which are both unsanitary and unsightly and also to provide a means for closing the opening which be decorated in the same cr a con-- trasting color to add to the appearance 01"' the entire frame and fixture.

1 claim:

l. 1n an electric xture, a supporting frame having spaced front and rear walls, an electric fixture yieldably slidable in a slot in the front wall of the frame and at one side thereof, a hollow lateral extension from the fixture between the walls of the frame and extending toward the center thereof, an electrical conductor for the lamp extending through the xture and through said extension and connected at the top ci the center of the frame to provide a loose portion between the extension and the point of connection of the conductor permitting a sliding moveM ment of the lamp support without kinking or sharply bending the conductor within the frame.

2. An electric xture support comprising a shallow frame with adjacent front and rear walls, the front wall having a face opening slot therein, a lamp support comprising relatively movable parts slidable in the slot and resiliently engaging the edges of opposite faces of the slot, the frame forming a channel on one side of the slot, and one of the parts of the support engaging in the channel to prevent turning of this part, an electrical conductor extending through the lamp support parts, and a lateral tubular extension secured to the nonrotating part through which the conductor also extends for preventing a localization of the bending of the conductor and for carrying it free from engagement with the front and rear walls.

3. An electric fixture support having a slot in combination with a lamp, a support for the lamp clampingly engaging but slidable in the slot, and means connected to the support and movable with it for closing the slot opening, the slot closing means being held in any position in the slot by the clamp engagement of the lamp support.

4. An electric fixture support comprising a frame having a front plate with a slot therein, a lamp support clampingly engaging the opposite edges but yeldingly slidable in the slot, and means movable with the support at one side of the frame for closing the entire remaining portion of the slot which is not closed by the lamp support therein the lamp support holding said means in any adjusted position.

5. An electric fixture support comprising a frame Wall with a front slot therein, a lampsupport yieldingly clamping the opposite faces of the wall and slidable in the slot and means connected to the support and movable with it for closing the slot on one side of the frame at those portions not closed by the lamp support, the support holding said means yieldingly in any adjusted position.

6. The combination with an electric iixture support having a slot therein, of a lamp support resiliently clamping the opposite edges and slidable in the slot, a strip of material secured to the lamp support and extending against the fixture support on one side of the slot to close the slot independent of the position of the lamp support therein, and means for confining the strip against the slot, the support holding the strip yieldingly in any adjusted position.

7. The combination of an electric fixture support having a slot therein, of a lamp support resiliently clamping the opposite edges engaging and slidable in the slot, a strip of material secured to the lamp support and movable with it to close the slot at one side of the xture support and rollers over which the strip passes at the ends of the slot to keep the strips tightly against the adjacent face of the xture support, the support holding the strip yieldingly in any adjusted position.

8. A structure in accordance with claim 7 in which the slot closing strip is endless in form, passing over the rollers at the ends of the slot and a conductor support projecting laterally from the rear of the lamp support to extend a conductor free from engagement with either web of the endless strip.

9. An electric xture support comprising a frame with slots at the edges thereof, an electric lamp support slidable and resiliently engaging the front and rear face of each of the edge slots, means in connection with each of the lamp supports comprising an endless strip for closing the under side of the slot; each lamp support having a hollow laterally extending tube projecting from between the front and rear portions of the strip, an electrical conductor extending from the lamp support through the hollow tube and a common support at the top of the frame for the conductors from the lamp supports holding them in xed position in the frame with a predetermined length of conductor within the frame to permit free movement of the lamp supports in the edge slots without crimping or damaging the conductor.

10. An electric fixture support comprising a marginal frame with edge slots and a central opening, means for mounting a xture plate to slidably cover the central opening of the frame, lamp supports slidable in the edge slots and cornprising conductors looped in the frame and accessible from the front thereof when the plate is removed.

11. An electric fixture support comprising a frame with a central opening and edge slots therein, a back secured to the frame forming an enclosure, lamp supports mounted and slidable in the slots, a. fixture plate and means for mounting it in the frame and to slide parallel to the slots to uncover the enclosure, an electric xture outlet at the bottom of the frame, the xture plate and the lamp supports having conductors extending therefrom within the enclosure and accessible from the face of the frame when the plate is raised and removed, means formed by the frame and the back thereof for predetermining the lengths of the conductors to the xture outlet and lamp supports Within the frame, and an outlet opening in the back of the frame for the conductors accessible when the plate is raised.

12. An electric fixture support comprising a frame with a central opening and slots at the opposite edges thereof, electric lamp supports independently slidable in the slots having conductors accessible through said opening and a fixture plate for closing the front of a frame slidably mounted in the frame between the slots, the mounting therefor comprising a plurality of strips each having a portion to engage the inner edge of the frame and an oppositely opening portion to engage the edge of the plate, the plate being engaged by the strips at the opposite sides and bottom of the opening.

13. In an edge light fixture support, a frame having side slots and a central opening with the corners cut at an angle, an electric lamp support engaging and slidable in each of the slots having conductors accessible through the central opening, a xture plate to cover the frame opening between the slots, means for slidably engaging the plate comprising strips of material each engaging the inner edge of the frame and the outer edge of the plate, the strips being positioned at the opposite sides and bottom of the frame and extending only to the said angular corners leaving the lower corners of the plate free from engagement by said strips so that the plate can be engaged at these lower corners and slidably removed from the frame.

14. A structure in accordance with claim 13 including means for holding the plate against unauthorized removal and comprising one or more clips secured to the upper edge of the frame and engaging the upper edge of the plate.

ADOLPH A. HENKEL. 

